


Roar

by Nosferatank



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Byleth also rips solon apart. literally. so that's fun, Byleth is a bit of a mother hen but doesnt acknowledge it, Dragon!Byleth, Found Family, Gen, The blue lions are fairly free with small gestures of physical affection, the other blue lions are there but they dont have lines
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-08-20 06:22:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20223253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nosferatank/pseuds/Nosferatank
Summary: ~My name is Sothis. By now you must be well aware of what that means.~~You and I are now as one.~~You know I am The Beginning. What shall you do?~-----Byleth comes back... different, from the Void.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title ripped straight from the ost because i dont feel like messing with title-creation. im so bad at that.  
anyways, theres a dearth of dragon byleth so i fixed that, with a side of platonic dimitri and byleth.

_~My name is Sothis. By now you must be well aware of what that means.~_

_~You and I are now as one.~_

_~You know I am The Beginning. What shall you do?~_

———

Dimitri watched in shock as the cloud of dark mist surrounding the massive altar dissipated, leaving the man from Remire standing alone and unharmed. Alone, as his professor was nowhere to be seen.

“What was that sorcery?!” Dimitri exclaimed, his shock mirrored by his classmates. “What have you done with Professor Eisner?!”

The ghoulish mage was not threatened at all by the obvious anger in the young prince’s voice, and instead looked self-satisfied and unthreatened.

“He was swallowed by the forbidden spell of Zahras.” Solon espoused. “An eternity wandering the Void, never to return to the physical world…”

Solon further muttered “And to think, we almost had the Sword of the Creator…”

The fear visible in Annette’s eyes, both for her teacher and her fellow students facing this man, bubbled over and spilled from her mouth. “It’s a lie! There’s no way Professor Byleth is really dead!”

The other students followed suit, their insistence that Byleth was still alive leading them to speak over each other. Dimitri felt his heels digging into the soft dirt, preparing to strike true for that- that _creature’s_ repulsive skull.

“Of course, death may not have found your friend just yet.” Solon continued to monologue. “Drifting through the darkness forever, overwhelmed with hopelessness until the mind fades… oh, it must be torturous.”

“Enough!” Dimitri snarled. “I’ll slice you into pieces while you _watch_! You will know true pain before I finally allow you to die!”

“How trite! If you prefer it, you may also be added to the ranks of the dead.”

And that gave him pause, but no, he could not allow this monster to escape, or emerge victorious. He could not allow himself to join his mother, his father, Glenn, or Byleth until he had spilled blood to quiet them.

And just as Dimitri prepared to launch his lance at Solon, a slice of red lit up the air above them.

The sky seemed to boil above them as the red tear expanded, and Dimitri was mesmerized by it. It started to widen, and Dimitri felt himself being yanked back by his cape by somebody in the hustle to get out of the way because whatever that was, it was dangerous.

A pair of scaly claws emerged from the tear and pried it apart, making way for the beast’s horned head, teeth bared and eyes full of rage.

The creature, large enough to nearly rival the demonic beasts that had patrolled the forest previously, tumbled out of the rip in the sky and landed heavily on four legs, chest visibly heaving with effort. It was a shade of cloud-grey, with curling horns and tenting leathery wings.

Dimitri had seen enough stained glass imagery and iconography in his life to know he was looking at The Dragon, the form the goddess was shown as in all the religious texts he could remember.

Solon looked just as stunned as the terrified students were, and had just the presence of mind to warp away and call for reinforcements.

Which left the students within spitting distance of a being known as the goddess’s wrath personified.

But the dragon that tore the sky ignored the humans behind it, and instead raced to the cliff face, its wings buffeting them into the ground.

The roar that shook the trees purged Dimitri of any doubt about the divine beast he had seen.

“What are we waiting for? After it!” he heard Sylvain cry, and it was enough to send them all scrambling for the high ground where the dragon had chased Solon. Even Dedue, steady and rooted as an ancient oak, looked shaken by what he had brushed with.

The demonic beast that was making its way towards them may have spurred their steps, perhaps.

At the top of the cliff, on the patterned tile spelled for protection, there was nothing but a grotesque bloodstain where Solon would have been, unidentifiable pieces scattered about the floor. The dragon looked up at the approaching humans, and Dimitri shuddered to a halt, resolving to face his death in a dignified manner expected of a prince when it launched itself towards them.

It was among screams of panic and the feeling of hands grabbing onto bodies in terror that Dimitri realized he was, in fact, not dead. That horrific ringing roar blasted out from behind the Lions, and the braver students were watching as the dragon leapt onto the demonic beast’s back and began to tear into its neck with tooth and claw alike.

The beast died with barely a whimper, and all of the dragon’s attention was on them.

The second beast approached the dragon from behind, and the dragon swung its horned head at the monster, sending it toppling to the ground. The dragon, despite its ease in dispatching the demonic beasts, backed up towards the students and roared at the downed monster. In an astonishing show of self-preservation, the demonic beast heaved itself up and fled.

Nobody dared move, for fear of attracting the dragon’s attention. It was one thing to sit in the cathedral and think that you were devout enough to be untouched by the goddess’s wrath, and another to see a god’s rage given physical form in front of you, solid and real.

The dragon swiveled its head about as if scouting for more monsters, and something niggled in the back of Dimitri’s brain. At the Red Canyon, Byleth had been what saved a few students’ lives, always seeming to show up just when they needed the support. Perhaps he’d finally lost his grip on his own mind, but the way the divine dragon’s wings were tented forwards and the way its back hunched…

“Professor?” Dimitri asked, barely above a whisper.

And of course the dragon heard that, slowly spinning around on a foreleg and staring down at the human that addressed it. Dimitri felt a hand reach out and grip his, and uncaring of who exactly it belonged to he squeezed it back. The dragon lowered his head until his muzzle was a near foot away from Dimitri, and a deceptively soft whuffle blew through his hair.

“Professor Byleth?”

The dragon shivered his jaws in what seemed to be contemplation before a guttural voice echoed from his throat.

**“Yes.”**  
Annette was the first to break the spell, pushing out from behind the students on front to look Byleth directly in the eye. “Professor! I knew you were alive!”

And that opened the floodgates of relief and joy for the survival of their teacher. Dimitri sighed deeply and sent his thanks to the Goddess Sothis, invoking her name for the sincerity of his prayer. The mass of grey in front of him nudged closer, and Dimitri let out a startled “_oof_” when Byleth’s snout nudged into his gut, and he couldn’t help but laugh softly and wrap his arms around his mentor, his family, propriety be damned.

Dedue, one hand running over the professor’s curling horn, broke the reverie. “Pardon me, professor, but… how do you plan to return to your previous form?”

Somehow the professor’s countenance was less flat as a dragon than as a human, and he managed to look sheepish despite it all.

**“I am not sure. This is… new, for me.”**

“It’s okay, Professor.” Mercedes soothed. “We can stay here. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

Byleth nodded minutely so as not to knock over any of the kids crowded around his head. He settled his body into a resting position, tucking his forelegs beneath him in a manner amusingly reminiscent of a cat.

With the professor’s calm demeanor and relaxed position, the Lions felt more comfortable sitting down themselves. His head was resting on the ground, eyes closed, and Dimitri was content to stay close and lean against his scaly cheek. Mercedes and Annette were speaking softly, their words private despite the people surrounding them. Dedue, ever vigilant, kept watch for more of Solon’s underlings, though anyone in their right mind would have fled in the face of divine wrath. The conversation soothed rapid heartbeats and adrenaline-soaked bodies, and slowly the Blue Lions class started to calm down.

Dimitri was startled out of his reverie by the green glow in the corner of his eye, and he scrambled to stand as Byleth’s form glowed, shrunk, and faded. The professor pushed himself up into a sitting position and shook his head, looking confused for a moment at the soft green shade of his hair before stoically ignoring it and standing to see his students.

“Professor!” Sylvain hailed. “Nice to see you back on two legs! But, uh, can you tell us what exactly happened?”

Byleth swept his gaze across the anticipating looks of his house. “It’s… a long story. I’ll tell you later. For now, that really took a lot out of me, so give me a moment to… to-“ Byleth replied, seeming to drift off mid-sentence, and then collapsed.

“Professor!” Dimitri called in worry, echoed by his classmates. He rushed up to his fallen mentor, fearing the worst, only-

“Is he asleep?” Felix asked, disbelieving.

“It looks to be so. Help me get him onto my back, will you? We must get him back to the monastery.”

With Sylvain’s help, Dimitri got Byleth situated on his back, the professor surprisingly heavy even for the prince’s freakish strength. While the students and sleeping teacher plodded along back to Garreg Mach, Dimitri wondered at seeing ancient history come to life. When the Goddess was depicted, it was always, always as a winged dragon. Something very strange was afoot here, even beyond the conspiracy with the Death Knight and the accursed Flame Emperor, and Dimitri feared for the future of Fodlan. For when dragons walked the earth, when the goddess’s physical rage was made manifest, Aillel had been created as a scar upon the earth.

He hoped the continent would survive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Byleth being heavy even for Dimitri’s weird superstrength is a little bit of conservation of mass: dragons are big, and even magical means of packing all that weight into a human shape isnt quite perfect.
> 
> I really stand by ‘older brother/mentor figure’ Byleth a lot, and I feel as an only child, one whose blood family perished, Dimitri would benefit a lot from such a figure in his life.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well fuck dude guess im doing more of this.  
Once again, dimitri and byleth are not romantic. Platonic intimacy ONLY here, folks. 
> 
> Also, while i'm at it, its fic writer appreciation day! take the time to comment and kudo your fav fics, ask you favorite writers about their works, draw fanart, make fic rec lists! I'm doing some of it myself once i'm done here!

Byleth spent his first two days after the Sealed Forest in the infirmary, tired and supposedly feverish. Physically, he felt fine, just… different. His skin felt too tight, the sensory input was far more than he was acclimated to, and something about the monastery had him on edge now. 

He was also strangely lonely, despite his students dropping in to visit a few times. He hadn’t realized how accustomed he’d become to the little dragon sharing headspace with him. Even the revelation that she was a goddess, _the_ Goddess, hadn’t been much of a surprise, with how much their thoughts and memories intermingled. 

The silence was strangely deafening. 

At least the school days would fill the silence, once he was out of this accursed infirmary stuck with _Manuela_ of all people. As soon as she told him he was free to go and that the Archbishop wanted to speak with him, he was out of there as fast as he could walk. Byleth didn’t particularly care about his lack of armor or coat, since after he found out what Rhea wanted he was heading back to his quarters to get some actual work done. 

When Byleth arrived in the audience chamber, it was empty except for the Archbishop and her advisor. And despite receiving instructions or giving reports many times here, he was much more on edge now. And he knew why. Byleth wasn’t sure if it was a smell, or a visual cue, or some other unknown sense, but he knew those two were dragons. 

Rhea looked more pleased than he could ever remember seeing her, showing a genuine smile rather than the carefully-constructed pleasantry she wore every day to her followers.

She turned that smile to him, and perhaps her teeth were more like fangs, and her pupils slit like a cat’s. 

“I presume you know about us?” Rhea questioned, tilting her head towards Seteth, who remained stoic as ever. 

Byleth really, _really_ didn’t want to stay here any longer than needed. This room, more than most others, was without a doubt the territory of the dragons before him. Byleth was younger, smaller, and less experienced. 

He wondered if Jeralt was aware of just how dangerous Rhea was, when he told Byleth to be wary of her. 

“Ah, excellent.” Rhea beamed. “I am glad you seem to be settling in. It’s good to have you back, Sothis.”

And the world dropped from underneath him.

Byleth’s face defaulted back to his normal flat affect, but in reality his mind was whirling and his body tense as a coiled spring. 

Rhea knew about Sothis. She thought _he_ was Sothis.

It wasn’t a massive leap in logic to realize she had something to do with the one he shared a body with. 

“I am not Sothis” He growled, feeling the empty gap in his mind that was still fresh from her absence. 

In the months that he’d seen her, this was the first time Byleth saw Rhea look actually _surprised_. “Oh, I- I… must have been mistaken. My apologies Professor.”

Seteth looked just as stunned, but valiantly attempted to redirect the impending argument. “Now then, onto the business of this month’s assignment-”

Byleth cut him off with a growl deep in his chest that rattled his throat. “No, you can’t try and ignore this, Seteth.” 

And it shouldn’t surprise him really, he _knew_ Seteth had always had problems with wanting to avoid social confrontation, even as a hatchling-

But wait, he didn’t know that, or did he? Did he really pick up so much from the new senses that came with his draconic form or did he really know them?

… How long had Sothis known Rhea and Seteth?

Rhea’s eyes hardened at his anger, and she snapped, “That’s enough, Professor. At the end of the month, the church will expect you to receive a revelation in the Holy Tomb, as all touched by the Goddess are expected to.”

“And what is this ‘revelation’, Archbishop? Is it to hear her voice, or invite her into my body again? It’s not going to happen, because she’s _gone_, Rhea!”

“How… _dare_ you.” Rhea hissed, fangs bared and hands grasping at her sides like claws. Byleth shrunk back at the elder dragon’s rage, and was a hair’s breadth away from crashing through the window and flying as far as his inexperienced wings could take him, because he would _not win this fight_.

Seteth slammed his fist into the pillar behind them, expression grim and stony. “Enough! We ought to discuss this later, when tempers are cooled and the professor is more... fully recovered from his ordeal.”

Rhea directed her heated gaze to advisor “Seteth, he-”

“Please, Rhea. Later.” And to Byleth’s surprise, she acquiesced. 

“You are dismissed, Professor Eisner.” Seteth said. 

Byleth wasted no time scurrying out the door and back to the dorms.

Despite Seteth heading her off, Byleth knew from somewhere deeper than just personal experience that Rhea would still get him down to the Holy Tomb even if she had to wrestle him into the throne herself. Not like it would do anything to him, anyways.

(Throne? What throne?)

Byleth rested his head in his hand, attempting to stave off the oncoming headache. After merging with Sothis it felt like he was always on the verge of something, like a thousand years of half-forgotten dreams. It was _infuriating_. 

And when he saw Felix and Ingrid parked by his quarters, he nearly groaned aloud because yes, he _did_ promise to explain the dragon form to his students. 

Ingrid had perked up as soon as she saw him approaching. “Professor! I’m glad to see you up on your feet.”

“I know why you’re here anyways. Go fetch your classmates.” Byleth said. The two students, used to their teacher’s rather blunt manner of speaking, trotted off to get the rest of the Lions. 

And Byleth wondered just how he was going to explain all this to his students. ‘Oh, I had the Goddess sharing a body with me and she gave me her power so we could escape the Void’? Sure, that’d go over well. 

Not to mention it would make his students a target, if they knew. Rhea didn’t scare _him_ that much, as nonsensical as it seemed, but the kids? Something inside him roiled at the thought of her getting too close. At the very least Byleth needed to make sure they kept it a secret. He’d likely fudge the truth just a little bit, too. Byleth didn’t like lying to his students, but his instincts pointed that ignorance was the best way to keep them safe, especially since he trusted Rhea even less. 

It didn’t take long for the rest of the Lions to file in after being fetched by their classmates. It was a bit cramped in Byleth’s office-slash-bedroom, but they made do. Byleth opted to wait for one of them to throw the obvious question out. 

“Sooo…” Sylvain started, clearly feeling brave. “What’s with the uh. The hair? And the dragon?”

“When Solon banished me to the Void, I… wasn’t alone. Sothis was there.”

If they were shocked by Byleth’s casual use of the Goddess’s true name, they didn’t show it. 

“She told me that it would take a god to leave the Void, the space between worlds.” This much was true, at least. “She then gave me her blessing, so I could escape and smite Solon. She… doesn’t like him, and I’m sure you all understand why.”

Ingrid tilted her head curiously. “It does make sense, I suppose. Saint Seiros had a divine blessing from the Goddess before she created the Empire, and all of the saints are traditionally depicted with green hair.”

“And the dragon?” Sylvain prodded. 

“... Also part of it. It was needed to escape.” Another technical truth. 

“So can you transform again?” Annette asked, eyes alight with curiosity.

Now this was something Byleth was unsure about. The thought of touching that well of power, even though it was now _his_, both natural in an exhilarating way and terrifying in the oddity of it, because he could still identify he no longer thought like a _human_. All of his different reactions to his environment, things that brought him satisfaction, feelings towards people, all of it had changed in some way. It wasn’t Sothis’s fault, but Byleth bitterly wished that she had at least warned him that it was a merging of more than just power. 

Byleth shook his head to dispel dark thoughts, once more meeting the eyes of his students. “I think so, but it’s not exactly like I can test that in the middle of Garreg Mach.”

“Why not just train somewhere more isolated then?” Felix interjected.

“Indeed. Many of our assignments on weekends are far from normal civilization.” Dedue agreed. 

And that really got the ball rolling, so now his students were planning on a training session without consulting the one right in front of them. 

“Enough.” he instructed, and they fell silent. Even though the students now knew how deeply he actually cared, they still found his stern commands intimidating. “I’ll think about it, depending on how our schedule looks like. In the meantime, unless you have any _genuinely_ pressing questions, you’re free to enjoy the rest of your day.”

Sylvain started raising his hand. Mercedes gently grabbed it and lowered it for him. Thankfully she could actually read the room.

“You’re dismissed, then. I’ll see you all in the morning.”

It wasn’t long before Byleth’s room was empty of students, except Dimitri, who stopped at the door before turning around. 

“Professor, if you really don’t want to try and take that form again, you are not required to.”

Byleth sighed. “I know, Dimitri. It’s not so much worrying that I can’t do it, as much as it is not knowing if I can change _back_. It feels too natural.”

“But,” he adds before Dimitri can reply “I’m still going to try. Repressing anything, let alone Sothis’s power, always has consequences.”

“I- Oh. Alright, Professor. But if you need any help… reverting back, as it were, we will be there to help.” _Like last time._

Somewhat wryly, Byleth said “Not getting stepped on would be a better first step for the class, I think. Now shoo, enjoy the rest of your free day.”

Dimitri bowed shallowly (always so formal, Byleth hadn’t been able to train him out of it yet), and left the dorm, looking ponderous. 

Byleth turned back to his room, and the spot where Sothis preferred to float seemed more conspicuously empty than ever.

\-----

That Wednesday, Byleth made an announcement before class. 

“I hope you all don’t mind camping unassisted, because I have approval for a solo mission this weekend.”

Byleth let the whispers permeate the room before calling for silence and explaining the mission. It would be a simple mission for them: a King of Fangs was venturing out of its den to the nearby village to steal sheep, and recently had killed a farmer. There was only one, so there wasn’t much concern over the mission being a completely solo one. And of course, if they took out the beast quickly, there would be an extra day or so for personal training. 

And it didn’t take long before the day was upon them, and the class packed up and headed out to the remote village in Kingdom territory. As Byleth had expected, the beast was nothing in the face of overwhelming waves of magic slung at it. After the brief hike back to camp, he instructed the students to cool off and do whatever, so long as they stayed in the campsite while he ‘trained’ his transformation. 

Except, he really didn’t need training, not for this. It felt so tantalizingly easy to take the form of a dragon. All it took was a moment, a tug on the fire in his belly, and he felt like he could _breathe_ again, after being in the compact form of a human for days. 

Byleth heard a whoop of excitement from below him and tilted his head down to see Ashe waving at him from the ground. Feeling more than a bit silly, he raised a claw and waved back.

**“I’m going to have a look around from above.”** Byleth rumbled. **“If you get into any trouble while I’m gone, I will know.”**

Ashe saluted jauntily and backed up, followed by the rest of the Lions. Byleth caught a few of their yells from being buffeted by his wings, but soon he was too far away to hear them anymore. And it incredible, flying. He had to keep himself in a small area to avoid being spotted by the nearest village, but the exhilaration almost made him forget. Byleth felt as if he had the world in his clawtips, like if he flew high enough he could reach Sirius, the star the Goddess was supposed to watch over Fodlan from.

He wondered how Rhea could stand to remain earthbound and tiny for so long, since he’d never heard of her exiting the monastery grounds. Even just being in this form for a few hours was enough for Byleth to feel less incongruent, less stifled. 

The simple feeling of air beneath his wings was wonderful, but Byleth knew he should be getting back to his kids soon. Oh, he knew they could take care of themselves, their weapons were sharp and their minds moreso, but something still directed him to at least check on them, they couldn’t even fly yet-

No, that made no sense, they were _humans_, not dragonets. How much of his brain had Sothis scrambled when they merged?

Still, he was happy to see them up and about in the campsite, which thankfully was still intact. Byleth circled above and decelerated, landing as softly as he was able in the area of the clearing not occupied by people. 

Annette was the first to reach him. “Hey Professor! How was the flight?”

Byleth lowered his head down to her eye level, because speaking to his students from this high up still felt a bit strange. **“Fairly easy, actually.”**

“Great! Once you turn back there’s some leftover dinner in the pot for you!”

And Byleth stilled. Desperately grasped for the sensation of being human- only four limbs, clawless fingers, softer and warmer and _smaller_.

The smallest thrill of panic laced through his unbeating heart, when he realized he couldn’t find the energy to transform. He sat on his haunches, closed his eyes, forced his awareness along every part of his _originalunnatural_ body. 

Nothing. 

“Professor?” He heard from below. Annette looked concerned. His emotions must be showing through his expression enough to be visible to her, even without a human face. 

That was another thing that changed with Sothis: Byleth found himself emoting more, _feeling_ more. It was, strangely, the least altered thing about him after he escaped the Void. 

**“I will be fine, Annette. It’s just… probably going to take a while. It was easier the first time.”**

She still looked concerned, but the reassurance seemed to have reached her. “Alright, Professor. Should I leave you alone for now?”

He wasn’t sure if it would help, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt his concentration, so he simply nodded at her.

With a wave and a promise to let everyone else know, Annette trotted off back to the camp, where everyone else was starting to roll out bedrolls and laying down for the night. The sun set, and the world quieted, and still Byleth couldn’t find his human form. When the night watch was exchanged, the student on rotation would eye him, but wouldn’t approach. To be fair, Byleth was laying down with his eyes closed and head resting on the ground. He probably looked asleep in his attempts to relax and return to human shape. 

When Sylvain yawned and stretched after getting up from the stump he was sitting on for watch, Byleth cracked one eye open. Even in the deep black, he could see incredibly clearly. It was a novel experience for him, even if his night vision had been unusually sharp for a human beforehand. 

Sylvain picked his way across the campsite, lance in hand, to wake the next student on the watch rotation. When he reached Dimitri’s pallet, he poked at his shoulder from afar with the butt of his lance. Not a bad move, considering Dimitri’s habit of coming up swinging if it was a bad night. And it seemed it _was_ a bad night, as Sylvain yanked his lance out of the way when Dimitri’s hand lashed out and he sat upright, hair mussed and eyes wild. He didn’t take long to snap out of it, and grabbed his own lance by his bedroll to begin his own watch shift while Sylvain gratefully shimmied back into his own bed. 

However, he didn’t approach the place where most others had spent their night watch. Instead, the young prince ventured out into the dark clearing next to the camp. For a moment, Byleth wondered if Dimitri was coming to him, but he stopped some 30 feet from his professor and started going through lance drills. 

Ah, so it was one of those nights, indeed. Chasing your demons away with exhaustion and false fighting wasn’t the healthiest coping mechanism, but it could be far worse. Byleth had seen a couple of mercenaries self-destruct, after all. 

Dimitri had been gradually moving closer to Byleth in the midst of sparring the air, the steps of his lance drills leading him to the not-so-asleep professor. When Dimitri finally fully stopped for a break, Byleth fully opened his eyes and softly huffed. **“Hello.”**

Dimitri’s breath hitched and he whirled around, clumsily throwing his lance in the direction of the ‘intruder’.

Despite his aim and throw being terrible, there was enough force to send the lance sailing at Byleth’s neck, enough to barely pierce his scales. Byleth winced, but it was nothing, really. Like getting a shallow splinter. 

“Oh sweet goddess, Professor I am so sorry.” Dimitri looked wretched, with the immense guilt on his face and his hair lank with sweat and sleep. 

Byleth simply shook his head like a dog, dislodging the lance with ease. **“It is nothing, less than a paper cut.”**

“It’s not nothing, Professor, I hurt you, I-” 

Byleth cut him off, turning his head to face the student at his side. **“It was an accident, and I should know by now when my students react badly. A splinter like this? It’s nothing.”**

Still looking tremendously guilty, Dimitri shook his head. “No, I should be more aware of my surroundings. It’s my watch, after all.”

Byleth hummed, but it came out more like a soft rumble. **“Then you can repay me by keeping me company. It gets boring, staying awake when alone.”** _And lonely, when you’re used to sharing your headspace with someone else_.

“I shouldn’t, professor, I need to dedicate myself to the night watch more thoroughly-”

Byleth bit back a sigh. With how self-destructive Dimitri could be, working himself into the ground, it was best that he wasn’t alone with his thoughts. And Byleth really would like some company too, with the absence of Sothis still fresh in his mind. 

Gently, all too aware of how pathetically fragile humans were, Byleth unfolded his wing and placed the clawed thumb of the wing on the other side of the prince, herding him closer. Dimitri stumbled and placed his hand on Byleth’s neck for support, and looked horrified when he saw the tiny red stain on grey scales from the lance-cut. 

**“I told you not to worry about it.”** Byleth grumbled. 

Dimitri didn’t even get to open his mouth for a retort before Byleth bulled onwards. **“I’d prefer your company to your guilt. I know I can’t stop you from feeling it, but at least know this doesn’t reflect poorly on you, not to anyone who matters.”**

Dimitri shut his mouth with a click. Then, careful, as if worried he’d make a wrong move, he slid into a sitting position, tucked between Byleth’s foreleg and his neck. Byleth sighed, feeling some of the tension from the previous conversation bleed away. It was nice, just having amicable silence. 

It took a while, but the silence was soon broken. 

“Professor?” Dimitri prompted quietly. “What was the Goddess like, when you saw her?”

Now that wasn’t a question Byleth expected from the prince. He turned over the question in his head, deciding how much to reveal, before he replied.

**“She was… chiding. She felt kind of like a grandmother scolding a child for doing something stupid. In my case, falling for a trap and getting sent to the void.”**

**“But, she cares. She cares so _personally_, the same as you or I would. I don’t think she’s all-seeing as the church claims, but she wanted the people she did see to live, and be contented, and loved.”**

Dimitri was quiet, processing that. “How long were you really there? It seems like you knew her well by the time you escaped”

**“Only a few minutes, same as on your side. I just… felt like I’d known her for all my life, seeing her in the Void.”** Byleth said, aware of just how close to the truth his half-lies were. 

“Do you think she would have stopped the tragedies of our generation, if she saw them?”

Now that, he knew the answer to. **“In a heartbeat.”**

“... I see.”

Dimitri went quiet after that. And slowly, the companionable silence became less companionable as his breaths evened out and he slumped against Byleth’s scaly neck. Really, It’s a surprise he lasted this long, with how often he worked himself down to the bone. Technically, Dimitri should still be on night watch, but it wasn’t like Byleth was getting any sleep himself, not like this. He may as well take the watch for the rest of the Lions. 

He’d still be running early morning drills once the sun rose, even if he had to do it from the form of a dragon. Can’t have the students thinking he’s gone _too_ soft.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: ok people want more dragon byleth, so im gonna want to hit important plot points  
Also me: here’s over 3k words of plotless fluff. 
> 
> Also i never remember to post my tumblr link in fics but surprise! I have one! 
> 
> [tumblr](https://anankos.tumblr.com/)


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